New Grad, don't know ANYTHING

Specialties Pediatric

Published

OK, I have been an LPN for almost 6 years, graduated from an ADN program in May and just finished my first week of orientation on my new unit, Critical Care. Right now I am sure that I don' t really know ANYTHING and I only graduated from nursing school because of luck. I still have to do my IV cerification, PICC certification, and vent certification! The only thing I know about vents is that they alarm alot and when they alarm your patient is not breathing! Did I mention that all the patients are on telemetry monitors, many have central lines, and more than half have trachs? :( Everyone keeps telling me to relax it will come to me but I just don't know. Anyone else feel like a dunce after graduation?

You sound like me I just started in a PICU in piitsburgh, and I feel like a total idiot. Everyone seems so smart even the other GN's.

I keep thinking that either I am totally stupid or my nursing school left me unprepared.

From what I was told from my preceptor It takes 1 year to adapt 3 years to be confident and 5 to forget everything and relearn again.

Good luck

Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

Although I am not a new grad....by a long shot :chuckle.....I did orient to a SICU unit before and it freaked me out enough that I left and went to work on pediatrics. :chuckle So, don't feel bad! :kiss If ICU is what you want, hang in there, take it slow, pay strict attention and ask as many questions as you can. Read as much about each patient during this orientation phase. Try to figure out why each patient is receiving the prescribed treatment they are being given, and become familiar with why each patient has what tube, IV, multiple lines, art-lines, vent, etc. It can be very overwhelming for any nurse.....new or old.......if they've never oriented to that environment before. Personally, I think there are nurses who are born with the ICU calling within them, and I learned quick that I was NOT one of those nurses. :chuckle Hats off to every ICU nurse out there! You guys truly do ROCK...IMHPO. :kiss

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